Fortune Cookies
by The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala
Summary: [AU] Fortune cookies always tell the truth.
1. Prologue: Fortunes

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: takes a deep breath of fresh air Hello everyone! My name is Esu-chan and this story is another one of my pathetic attempts in writing HPDM romance. I have deleted and posted so many stories under so many pennames that I can't even remember the older ones anymore! I hope you enjoy this fic!**_

Inspiration: Fried Dumplings from Luk Foo and Fortune Cookies from my friend.

Warnings: Slash (male/male), mild cursing, mentions of hot sweaty man smex and obscenity.

**

* * *

**Blaise walked inside the lavishly decorated penthouse and set a take-out bag of Chinese food on the dining table. 

"Draco? Where are you?"

Shuffle.

"I'm in the study."

Blaise threw his coat over an arm of a random chair and barged into the blonde man's personal study room.

Blaise crossed his arms and grinned. "Working _again_? I'm beginning to think that you're having a personal affair with that computer. What would your father say?"

"He's probably turning in his grave right now, considering that he worked just like I do." Draco replied sarcastically, "And besides, some of us actually have to work considering that they have freeloaders living in their homes."

"Hey," Blaise protested, "I'm not freeloading. I just happen to be living in your penthouse suite, eating your food and stealing your checkbooks."

Draco ignored the dark skinned man and went back to his laptop.

Blaise draped himself over the couch in front of the large marble fireplace and said, "It's not my fault that I got disowned. My stepmother was just itching to do it ever since father landed himself in jail."

Tap tap. The computer beeped.

"What did she disown you for again?"

"Because I accidentally got a picture of me making out with a random guy in a bar plastered all over the newspapers. She said it fouled the Zabini name and that my father would have done the same thing she did if he wasn't legally interdicted."

"How could I forget?"

Draco stretched languidly and stapled a few papers on his desk.

"Actually, since that fiasco more and more people have admitted to being gay."

Staple, staple.

Blaise sighed dramatically, "I don't understand how she could be so cruel! And the worst part of it all is that you were in the picture with me making out with that French dude on holiday! Why was _I _the only one punished?"

Draco smirked, "Because I, unlike you, have _two _deceased parents. And as far I'm concerned, my father didn't have any other wives so I was legally the Head of the Malfoys and in charge of all Malfoy estates and accounts upon his untimely death."

"Served him right though," Blaise said thoughtfully, "After nearly sending his company into bankruptcy, nearly getting you killed and _successfully _getting your mother killed, him being mauled by a couple of pissed convicts inside his cell still doesn't seem like enough justice."

Draco sighed.

"Blaise, those pissed convicts had several pointy objects in their possession. I think mother's death has been justified with his."

Blaise frowned. "I'll never get how you can forgive him. He didn't treat anyone like a human being. Not even his family."

Draco sipped the glass brandy on his desk and said softly.

"He is and will always be my father. He may not have been loving and caring like all the rest but he raised me in the cruel, twisted way he thought was right. It was to be expected seeing as his father treated him the same way. His only miscalculation was that my mother wasn't as cold-hearted as she made out to be."

"Whatever you say, Draco."

"Hmm."

Blaise suddenly remembered the take-out.

"Oh yeah, I've got Chinese in the dining. Want to join me?"

Draco shrugged, "Sure. I haven't had anything since breakfast."

"How in the world to you manage to make it through the day? You don't eat, sleep or do anything fun. I'm surprised that you haven't driven yourself to insanity yet."

"Oh shut it. I work hard, is that a problem?"

Blaise threw up his arms, "Of course it's a problem! Malfoy Corporation won't blow up or go down in the drain if you skip out for one night."

"Says you. I don't think you're the right person to be giving advice on company management."

"I'm just saying."

Draco opened the bag and took out a pair of chopsticks.

"I appreciate the worry. Hey, is this Yang Chow?"

Blaise tossed a dumpling inside his mouth, "Yeah, with some siomai. Just how you like it, right?"

Draco smiled and ate some of the yellow rice.

"Maybe you are good for something after all."

Blaise grinned, "Maybe."

After about twenty minutes of eating in comfortable silence, Draco threw the box inside the nearest trash bin.

Blaise rummaged inside the paper bag and threw something at him. Draco caught it and felt something crunch inside his fist.

"What in the world--?"

"It's a fortune cookie. You get them for free from the Chinese restaurant."

He then proceeded to bite his in half and take out a small strip of white paper.

"'The man you have been planning to take to dinner will say yes. Take my advice and _try_ not mention his ex-boyfriend.'"

Draco raised his eyebrow, "Are fortune cookies supposed to be this specific?"

Blaise shrugged, "Who knows? They always end up being true. At least those from this restaurant."

Draco leaned into him and asked, "So tell me, Blaise, who is this elusive man you wish to date?"

"Seamus Finnigan. He broke up with that Thomas guy last week."

"Finnigan? The Irish bloke you were caught making out with?"

"Yep."

"You have the most peculiar taste in men."

Blaise rolled his eyes and eyed the crushed cookie in Draco's hand.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to read yours? You kind of crushed the cookie."

"Oh right." Draco took out the crumpled piece of paper and read it out loud, "'A chance meeting with a bespectacled person from the past will change your life.' Uh-huh. Blaise?"

"What is it?"

Draco held up his fortune and asked, "Is it just me or does this note look handwritten?"

Blaise grinned, "You're turning paranoid in your old age, Malfoy."

"Shut up, Zabini."

**

* * *

**Somewhere downtown another person was walking into a similar scenario with two similar fortunes inside a certain Chinese take-out paper bag. 

"Oi! Is anyone home?"

"In the kitchen, Seamus!"

Seamus tossed the take-out bag onto the couch when he saw black smoke coming from the said kitchen. There was also a putrid odor of rotting meat permeating throughout the house.

"Harry! What in God's name do you think you're doing?"

Harry coughed through the smoke and shut the oven with his foot. He was carrying what looked like remnants of roast chicken.

"I was cooking?"

Seamus poked the burnt chicken with his finger, "Trying to burn down the house more like it. You know you suck at cooking."

"Sorry." Harry said, "Ron sort of dared me to try cooking again and, well, this is the result."

"I'm killing him tomorrow. After a hard day at work, I expect our apartment to be not burned down to the ground."

Harry snickered. "Hard day at work? Aw, poor Seamus… Did you get teased by the little kids at the daycare?"

"Shut it, Harry." Seamus snapped, "Those little kids are demons in disguise! They appear like angels in front of their parents but morph when they leave! It's horrifying!"

"Stop being such a cry baby. The kids are what? Four?"

"Seven and a half," Seamus pouted, "That one kid kicked me in the shin when I said that he looked like he was six."

Harry made a face. "Ouch. Why are you dealing with the older ones anyway? Didn't you use to work with the toddlers?"

"Yeah. But apparently, when you get good at your job you get promoted to the Ninth Circle of Hell ones."

Harry threw the blackened chicken into the trash and commented, "Then you must be really good at yours then."

Seamus slumped by a green counter.

"Imagine if I got better! I'll get sent over to the twelve year olds! They like Satan's spawns themselves!"

Harry laughed out loud, "If only I could be there… Oh well."

Seamus motioned to the living room and said, "Come on. I've got Chinese."

"Yum."

Harry plopped down into an armchair and dug into his Chow Mein. Seamus bit into an egg roll.

"So, how are things going on at that job hunt?"

Harry swallowed thoughtfully and replied, "Well, the agency told me that they had finally found a company looking for an intern to fill in since the errand boy got into some horrid accident with the paper copier."

"That's great! What's the company's name?"

Harry shrugged, "They never told me. They just told me not to get too happy since the said company fires a lot of their interns in a week. Some of the ones that the agency sent spent no more than three days because the president is very, very anal about the way he does things."

Seamus chugged down the beer bottle by his feet and asked, "What _is _your job anyway?"

"I think it'll have something to do with finances since Accounting is my major. Basically, I'll probably stapling Financial Statements and giving everyone coffee."

"I can't believe you're still an intern at age 21." Seamus shook his head, "Let's hope you don't get fired."

Harry held up his beer, "Cheers to that."

The clinking of beer bottles was soothing to ear.

After finishing his sixth egg roll, Seamus fished out two fortune cookies from the take-out bag.

"Catch."

Harry caught it with his hands, careful not crush it. Seamus opened his first and stuffed the cookie inside his mouth.

"Glutton." Harry teased, opening his own.

"'Someone will be asking you out soon, do not feel in doubt, he has good intentions. And if he starts talking about your ex, don't get _too _offended'"

Harry shivered, "I hate how the fortune cookies from that place always come true. I remember the whole Ginny incident…"

Seamus gagged, "Don't remind me, Harry. It was so sick how the people from the Chinese place knew that she would be dressing up as a Dominatrix for your anniversary two years ago."

"That's why I don't regret breaking up with her. She was just so…controlling."

"Hear, hear."

Harry read his own fortune.

"'A chance meeting with a blonde person from the past will change your life.' God, that sounds just so cryptic! What if its that Finch-Fletchley dude?"

Seamus grinned, "Don't worry, Har. Just be careful on your job tomorrow."

"I will."

"_I hope._" Harry added as an afterthought.

**

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**

**_Note from the Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:_**

Whew! I like this chapter, probably because of the light humor. Send me your comments through a review! No updating till I get lots of reviews!

**Esu-chan**


	2. Chapter 1: Embassy

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: Yipee! I popped another chapter out! Considering that next week is our Exams I **_**am **_**supposed to be studying but…you know…I just **_**had **_**to use the computer! It was all the computer's fault! calms down Hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

**

* * *

**"Draco?" 

Silence. Shuffling of papers.

"Draco?"

More silence. More shuffling of papers.

"If you keep on shuffling those I'll tell the Rita Skeeter about the time in boarding school when you wet your bed."

"What do you want, Blaise?"

"I'm bored."

Draco glared at him. "Then go find some place else to be bored. You're being nuisance. I'm trying to work."

"But I'm _bored_." Blaise whined.

"I think we've established that already. Now shut up and let me finish this. My creditors are coming tomorrow."

Blaise randomly poked around the files on top of Draco's desk. When his hand reached for a red folder labeled 'Secretary Résumés', Draco slammed a glass ornament on it.

"Ow!" Blaise shouted, rubbing his injured hand, "What the hell was that for?"

Draco stuffed the folder into his desk and locked it.

"The last time you saw that folder you went right out and stalked all my secretaries until they quit. You will keep fifty feet away from them at all times."

Blaise sniffled and watched a red mark blossom on his hand.

"My poor hand… But your secretaries are hot! They like being a tease wearing those short skirts and indecent blouses! Temptation, Draco, temptation!"

Draco ignored him. "No. You will not date any of my secretaries. You're gay now so it doesn't really matter."

Blaise sat back down.

"That _is_ right anyhow. I don't like women anymore. Men are far better lays."

Draco sighed, "Is it too much to ask for you to talk cordially? I will not have people hearing my best friend talking like a common whore."

"I resent that."

"I resent far more things than you do." Draco said pointedly, staring at him, "Including allowing you to have a pass inside this building. You wreak havoc wherever you go."

"If I didn't wreak havoc then what would you do in your spare time?"

"I don't _have _any spare time because of you. I barely have time to sleep!"

"Do you want a break?"

Draco sighed. "I thought it would be apparent by now."

Blaise grinned maniacally.

"Want to go out tonight?"

**

* * *

**"Seamus, where the hell are we going?" 

Seamus smiled at him, "To a bar. With a disco. To celebrate before you go to work tomorrow."

Harry stared at the entrance stub in his hand.

"Let me get this clear. _I _am going with _you _to disco bar called 'Embassy' in the wee hours of the morning wearing this?"

Seamus looked at Harry's outfit and nodded appreciatively.

"You look hot."

Harry was wearing tight leather pants with a long-sleeved emerald green polo. And don't forget the black leather boots.

"I look like some kind of gigolo!"

"Believe me Harry, you do not look like a man whore. More like one of those really expensive escort people who earn twenty thousand pounds a night."

"That is not helping."

"I'm not helping. I'm trying to flatter you into coming with me."

"It's not working."

Seamus thought for a moment and said, "Your ass looks nice in those pants."

"Still not working."

Seamus pouted like a kicked puppy.

"Don't you dare use those annoying eyes on me, Seamus!"

Flutter of eyelashes.

"Is it working?"

"Yes." Harry replied dejectedly.

Seamus pumped his fist up in the air, "Then lets go! The club awaits!"

**

* * *

**"I must be crazy." 

Pansy sipped her drink.

"Why is that?"

Draco swirled his brandy and said, "Because I am in a psychotic disco club with you and Blaise. If another scandal blows again I think father would climb out of his grave and drag me down to hell."

Pansy sighed, "Draco, it's a disco. People dance and have fun. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"That's what you said the night we went out and I got a picture of me making out with some random bloke plastered all over the newspapers."

Pansy smiled thoughtfully, "You know that French dude was pretty hot. Do you have his number?"

"He went back to France." Draco replied dryly, "And he's married."

"Then I'll borrow daddy's jet."

"What about the marriage problem?"

Pansy smiled at him, "Who said him being married was problem?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Trust you to be completely nonchalant about trying to break up a marriage for a fling."

Pansy downed her margarita and stared a Draco, "Look who's talking. Who was the person who managed to break up a certain someone's marriage because of a one night stand?"

"I was drunk. And confused. We were what? 20?"

Pansy giggled, "Why is it that when something bad somehow manages to happen to you, you are _always _partially incapacitated?"

Draco glared at the dark-skinned man dancing on the disco floor and replied, "It's Blaise's curse."

Pansy raised an eyebrow, "The one he supposedly cast on you before we graduated?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah. The one about me doing crazy things when I'm drunk."

Pansy laughed this time. "Ooh, that curse or whatever it was is priceless!"

"No it's not. It's annoying."

"I remember the night after Blaise cast the curse you went out to a bar with him to prove him wrong and ended up making out with that Potter-dude in front of the whole class! I think Weasley fainted right after seeing you two!"

"That was the only good thing that happened," Draco growled, downing his whole glass.

"It's funny to think that it was _also_ with Potter that something bad happened to you while you were drunk. And a Weasley was also involved! Maybe fate is trying to tell you something!"

Draco looked at her as if she was nuts, "You've gone completely nutters, Pansy. I think shagging too many guys killed off a few brain cells."

Pansy sighed dreamily, "I loved that scandal. The Weaslette coming home from a trip only to find her husband in bed with another person! A man known as Draco Malfoy nonetheless!"

Draco chuckled, "I think Mrs. Potter got a coronary in the street after she ran out."

"It's back to Ms. Weasley again, Draco. They divorced the week after remember? I believe she got like, half of Potter's money."

"She was a whore anyway. I think she's engaged to Dean Thomas now."

"The billion-dollar dude? The one who bought Macintosh?"

"The son of the billion-dollar dude. See what I mean about whore?"

"More like a gold digger."

Draco ordered another glass of brandy.

"They've only been divorced for three years and yet she's got her smarmy claws in another Fortune Five-Hundred member."

Pansy pouted, "Lucky hag."

"Oh shut it, Parkinson."

"What? Wish you were her?"

"Oh please," Draco drawled, "I have enough money to fund my own country, thank you. I do not need to whore myself off to other people to be rich."

"Quite humble, aren't you?" Pansy looked over her shoulder, "Oh look, here comes Blaise."

"Have you found your date yet?" Draco asked uninterestedly.

Blaise grinned, "Yeah. He's over there. The guy in the red shirt, the fuckable looking one."

Pansy squinted her eyes through the crowd. She spotted Seamus jumping up and down like the energizer bunny. But who was that gorgeous guy with the green shirt…?

"Who's the hottie beside him?"

Blaise shrugged and looked where Pansy was looking. His eyes widened like saucers.

"Those fortune thingies do come true!" He exclaimed, "Draco! The world is right again!"

"What in God's name are you screaming about?" Draco demanded.

"Take a look," Pansy said, "Beside Finnegan, the guy in the emerald shirt."

Draco looked up from his drink and watched the crowd.

"I don't see anyone."

His so-called friends really are crazy. He wondered why he even came here.

"Look harder," Blaise egged, sharing conspiracy looks with Pansy.

Draco's silver eyes landed on a familiar face with emerald green eyes _without _any glasses. An image of that certain face in pure pleasure while his whole body writhed underneath him flashed in his mind.

"Oh fuck."

**

* * *

**"Seamus, I can't see a thing." 

"Did you put on your contacts?"

"…Ow. No, I have not."

Snort.

"You just poked your eye didn't you?"

"…yes. It hurt."

"Of course it would, you idiot! Now hold on a sec, I've got them somewhere in my pocket…"

Harry punched the Irish man's shoulder.

"You put my contacts inside your greasy pocket? Are you mad?"

"Don't worry. They're in the case. I never make mistakes twice."

Harry stared at him, "What do you mean twice?"

Seamus handed him the white case and smiled sheepishly, "Have I ever told you about the time when I put your contacts inside my pocket and then they got covered in bacon grease so I had to throw them away?"

Silence.

"I'm killing you when we get home."

Seamus peered out of the window and watched as the taxi rolled to a stop. They were in front of a huge gray building. Shops lined every which way and there were people everywhere. A glowing sign that said 'Embassy' was above the open double doors.

"Whoa," Harry mumbled, "Look at all the people. How the hell are we going to get in?"

Seamus smiled and held up their passes, "Remember these? The manager's a friend so I got us VIP passes."

"Wicked."

Seamus paid the cab driver and patronized him, "Now who was the killjoy bloke that didn't even want to come in the first place?"

Harry stepped out of the cab and ignored him, "Let's go!"

Seamus grinned, "Someone's happy."

"The last time I went to a disco bar was with…you know…" Harry trailed off.

"Malfoy?" Seamus suggested, handing their passes to the bouncer, "And then the thing happened."

"Yeah. That annoying, insufferable, poncy, air headed git."

Seamus laughed merrily, "I think I get it. You hate his guts."

"I want to eviscerate and castrate him."

Seamus grimaced, "That sounds painful." _And evil!_

A group of girls passed them giggling loudly. Seamus looked at them and winked. The girls swooned and walked away, giggling once more.

Harry looked disapprovingly at his friend and commented, "I thought you had a date?"

Seamus looked around the throng of grinding bodies and spotted the said person.

"Look! I found Blaise! Hey Blaise!"

Seamus started jumping up and down and waving. Blaise smiled sexily at him.

"He's so hot."

"I would say that you look like a complete idiot but I'm having to much fun watching you make an idiot out of yourself."

Seamus ignored him and said, "I want to fuck him."

"Eww." Harry said, making a face, "I did not need those images."

Sometimes Seamus could be so…liberated. _And stupid_.

Harry scanned his eyes over the place and saw the bar behind Seamus' date.

"Come on. I need a drink."

"Okay…" Seamus replied, still staring at the shaggable Blaise Zabini.

Harry then felt a pair of eyes staring at him and he looked up. His green eyes met startled silver ones.

_Oh hell…is that…?_

There, sitting in front of the bar, was the reason why his love life was currently nonexistent.

"Hey lookie, Harry, isn't that Draco Malfoy?"

Harry felt a familiar anger bubble in his stomach. Then despair, and finally complete annoyance.

_I hate my life._

**

* * *

**Back in Draco's penthouse, the fortune crumpled up inside the trash bin shimmered and disappeared. Similarly, the fortune on top of the dining table in Seamus' apartment disappeared too. Both of the fortunes materialized inside a tall glass jar in one of the rooms the Chinese Restaurant. 

Luna Lovegood looked up from her small piece of paper and set her fountain pen down. She stared at the two fortunes added inside the jar.

…_Another fortune came true._

She smiled and went back to writing.

_And so it begins._

**

* * *

**

**_Note from the Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:_**

Don't you just love the steamy, hot and sexual past that Harry and Draco share? sigh At least I've got a reason why Harry broke up with the Ginny-bitch. Review! I updated within a week! Fwee…

BTW, oh yeah, Embassy is actually a real bar here in the Philippines but I have no idea what it looks like since I'm still underage so I just made up the description.

**Esu-chan**


	3. Chapter 2: Stupidity

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: Oh gosh, I've actually updated so quickly. I'm in shock. And a hundred words over my limit too. Happy reading!**_

_**

* * *

**_"Well, well…speak of the devil," Pansy muttered. 

Draco groaned and finished his brandy off.

"Why must the fates mock me so?" Draco wailed, "I've been a good friend, a good boss…"

Blaise snorted. "You better stop lying before they decide to make your life even worse."

Draco clamped his mouth shut. _Of all the places to meet Potter…it had to be in a bar where I could possibly get drunk and do something idiotic. Again._

His gray eyes followed his two ex-schoolmates as they wove their way through the crowd. The green-eyed man tugged uncomfortably at his pants and glared at Seamus all the while.

_Seems like Potter's not in a dandy mood either… God, all these lights are giving me a headache…_

"Hullo Blaise." Seamus greeted happily.

The said Irish man was practically drooling.

"Hey Seamus, how are you?"

But then again so was his friend. Blaise could be a real lady-killer if only he wasn't gay. Sad.

Seamus grinned, "I'm great."

Blaise motioned to his friends and said; "I guess we don't need to make introductions anymore."

Seamus nodded at Pansy and Draco, "Hey. Parkinson and Malfoy, right?"

Pansy raised her martini and smiled sultrily at him, "Call me Pansy, dear. Everyone else does."

Blaise wrapped an arm around Seamus' waist and whispered, "Don't mind her. She's always this whorish."

Pansy hit the Italian lightly on the arm, "Pish posh, Blaise. I didn't know you were this possessive with your…_ahem_…lovers."

Seamus colored. "Actually, this is sort of our first date…"

Pansy raised an eyebrow, "Really now? My, my… A _disco bar_ on the first date? He must really be serious about you."

It was Blaise's turn to blush.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked.

"Alright."

Blaise lead Seamus out onto the dance floor. Harry was still glaring at him. _Great, that idiot left me again._

"So Harry…" Pansy drawled, "Is it alright if I call you, Harry?"

Harry sent her a small smile, "It's fine."

"How have you been? Ever since that ruckus my best friend cause a while back…" Pansy stared pointedly at Draco who sipping his drink quietly, "I've wondered how you've been fairing."

Draco's hands tightened around his glass. _You're treading on dangerous grounds, Pansy…_

Harry looked at the man behind the bar and muttered, "Vodka, please."

Pansy watched him intently. Harry cleared his throat.

"I'm fine, I guess. After Ginny…left, I haven't really been with anyone…"

"No one?" Pansy pressed.

Her inquisitive eyes bore into his green ones.

"Well, I had _one _girlfriend about one year after Ginny and I got divorced and let's just say it didn't turn out well." Harry replied dryly.

Remembering Cho was bit scarring for him. Especially when he remembered the whips and paddles she had displayed on the table, and not forgetting the scary mask with the two curved straws leading out of the nose holes.

Harry shuddered, "I don't even want to think about Cho."

"That bad?"

"You wouldn't dare imagine the reason why we broke up."

"Indulge me."

"…She dressed up as a Dominatrix for our one year anniversary. It wasn't a pretty sight."

Draco nearly choked on his drink. _Chang? As a Dominatrix? Oh that's a laugh._

Pansy smiled and thought for a moment.

"So that means you haven't had a proper relationship for about two years now…hmm…interesting."

Draco set his brandy down. _Where are you going with this? You cannot possibly be thinking about…_

Pansy grinned, "It's the same with Draco. Ever since he broke out of that horrid engagement with me he still hasn't found his happily ever after."

"I doubt _you _of all people would believe in happily ever after." Draco murmured.

"Of course I do," Pansy replied indignantly, "What girl doesn't?"

"You? After all the guys you've slept with I'm surprised no one's sued you for adultery."

Harry turned beet red.

Draco turned to him. "What's the matter, Potter? The topic of sex bothers you?"

"Oh, um…not really… it's just that… erm… Pansy…" Harry stuttered, turning even redder by the second.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Pansy said, "It's true anyway."

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised, "I never expected you to… you know…"

"Sleep around?" Draco continued, "You don't know her that well do you? Could you believe that she slept with _Viktor Krum_ from Durmstrang before he left for Bulgaria? _While _he was still infatuated with Granger."

Pansy smirked, "He was a good…how should I say this? A good friend. A _great _friend even."

_More like a great lay,_ Draco added in his mind.

"Hermione didn't like him that much anyway. They stopped writing to each other when Ron started asking her out."

"Are they married?" Pansy asked.

"Not yet. But I think Ron's planning to ask her anytime soon. He's already picked out a ring."

"Knowing Weasley it's probably one of those plastic rings you get from a vending machine." Draco joked.

Pansy snickered, "Oh stop that, Draco."

Harry glared at him, "Ron's not that poor anymore, Malfoy. You better keep your comments to yourself."

Draco looked taken aback, "No need to be so snippy, Potter. It was just a joke."

Harry tilted his head back and downed the shot of vodka.

"Well it wasn't very funny."

"Now, now," Pansy said calmly, "We don't want a brawl to happen around here."

"He started it," Harry gritted out.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "After all these years I figured that you'd grow a brain and learn to act decent. I guess I was mistaken. You still have the mindset of an eleven-year-old from Hogwarts."

Harry slammed the shot glass down on the bar, "Sod off, Malfoy."

"Or that you'd have learned a lot more comebacks. Such a disappointment."

"You two better stop it before the bouncer decides to throw us out," Pansy snapped.

"Tell that to Potter. Getting all worked up because of one joke." Draco muttered. _It's not my fault he's so pissy._

Harry ordered another shot and downed it in one go. _I definitely hate him._

Pansy shot a glance at Draco. Draco huffed and ignored her.

"There is something up with you,"Pansy said quietly, "Do you really love ticking Potter off that much?"

Draco shrugged and stared the said man two seats away from him. Harry was glaring at everyone and everything in sight.

"It's just so _easy_ getting under his skin."

Pansy looked at him knowingly, "Are you sure it's just under his skin you want to get into?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Pans."

Pansy smirked, "I've known you since we were kids, Draco. From the time that you fell into the pool and Blaise and I had to save you to the time you figured you were gay."

"You guys will never let me forget that, won't you? I slipped. It wasn't like I wanted to fall into a subzero pool."

"But you still owe us." Pansy finished smugly.

"Whatever."

Pansy leant in to his ear and whispered, "You should really try to make friends with Harry."

She then went out to the dance floor and grabbed the nearest unsuspecting victim.

Pansy smiled to herself.

_I'll make sure of it, whether you want to or not._

* * *

Blaise reappeared thirty minutes later with sweat on his brow and a hickey mark on his neck.

"You got to first base already?"

"Men just can't keep their hands off me."

Someone poked him roughly from behind.

"The only hands that are allowed to touch you are mine."

Blaise grinned and gave Seamus a peck on the lips, "Don't worry, Seam. I think your hands are the only ones that are going to be touching me tonight."

"They better be." Seamus muttered.

Draco gagged and commented, "Half an hour into the date you're already acting like a married couple." He turned to Seamus and added, "You sure Blaise is just not a rebound guy because you broke up with Thomas?"

"Definitely." Seamus reassured, "An ass as good as Blaise's is tough to let go."

"Why thank you, love."

Seamus' eyes darted to Harry who was sitting a couple of seats down. He was nodding dumbly as a giggling brunette talked to him and occasionally touched his arm.

"Hey Harry! Come over here!" Seamus called.

Harry sighed in relief and bade the girl goodbye.

"Dear God, I owe you one, Seamus" Harry said, breathing deeply, "I think my brain was going to turn into mush after all that crap about her wanting to be a doctor but settled on being a secretary because it was easier and paid more."

Draco looked at the indecent miniskirt the girl was sporting and said, "I think I know why she gets paid more."

Blaise spied a look at her ass and whistled. Seamus punched him. Blaise pouted.

"Has anyone seen, Pansy?" Draco asked.

"Is that her?" Harry asked, pointing towards one of the many pillars by the wall.

Everyone turned to where Harry was pointing.

"Wow," Seamus commented, "Pansy works fast."

"Yes she does." Blaise added.

Draco sighed, "That girl has no morals. Or any honor for that matter."

Blaise nodded, "She lost it when she was sixteen."

Harry and Seamus sniggered.

Draco squinted his eyes and tried to make out whom the guy Pansy was currently snogging. A flash of brilliantly red hair caught his eyes.

_Oh fuck. That cannot be possible. I must be hallucinating._

"Blaise, please tell me I've had too much to drink and that I'm seeing things," Draco started, "Because I seem to be seeing a visage where Pansy is making out with Weasel-bee."

"WHAT?" Seamus and Harry shouted simultaneously.

Pansy bit the aforementioned man's ear and went down to his neck. Only then could Ron's shocked friends see his face, eyes closed with him grinning drunkenly. He ran his hands through his hair and a golden band on his left ring finger glinted in to disco lights.

"Shit." Blaise cursed, "Let's go before Pansy does something drastic and decides to give his other head a kiss."

Seamus and Blaise raced off through the mass of grinding bodies, leaving Harry alone once again with Draco. The tension in the air seemed to get denser with every passing second.

It was Harry broke the silence.

"Is she this much of a slut that she'd whore herself off to a practically married man?" Harry asked, sarcasm and anger seeping into his voice, "And I thought your friends couldn't be much worse than you."

Draco was very much tempted to crack open Potter's skull with a bar stool.

"Don't you dare speak things you know nothing about," Draco spat, "Pansy just has some…issues."

Harry laughed cynically, "Oh I know about it alright. You and your whore of a friend find it fun to destroy other people's relationships. Well, Malfoy, I'm not going to stand around and let you."

Just as Harry was about to head over to the others, Draco roughly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him so hard that he fell to the floor. A few of the dancers and those sitting by the bar quickly got out of the way.

"I told you to shut up." Draco said coldly.

Harry stood up slowly and pushed Draco back, "Make me, Malfoy. Or does the truth hurt too much? I think your bastard of a father created a perfect clone of himself before he died."

Draco saw red. _That's it. He asked for it._

The heir rushed forward and punched Harry right on the nose, making it bleed profusely. He retaliated by landing one on Draco's jaw, knocking him to the ground. Draco kicked Harry's shin and the brunette fell. Draco sat on his abdomen and pulled back a fist. Harry closed his eyes and prepared for the punch that might successfully break his nose.

But it never came.

Draco's fist made a cracking sound as it hit the floor, centimeters from Harry's head. He was leaning over Harry, anger and sadness swirling around in his silver irises. His perfect blond hair was dangling down and hitting Harry's cheeks.

"Never _ever _speak about my father that way."

Harry was stunned. He expected Malfoy be angry but, sad? It was quite a sight to see something other that anger and malice in his eyes. A bouncer suddenly appeared from behind the bar and pulled Draco off of him.

"Take this outside. Mr. Nott doesn't like people making a scene in his bar."

Draco rubbed his jaw and gave Harry one icy glare before making a beeline for the exit.

Harry saw Seamus making his way back from the crowd. Blaise was not far behind, dragging an unconscious Ron.

"Harry!" Seamus knelt beside him, "What in the world happened? We were gone for 10 minutes! And where's Malfoy?"

"He left." Harry said shortly, getting to his feet, "Serves him right. I mention one thing about his father and he goes ballistic."

Blaise sighed and set Ron down on a stool.

"A word to the wise, Harry. Don't mention his father anymore. You're just begging to be pulverized."

Harry watched the door through which Draco exited and felt his nose gingerly.

_I wonder why?_

"You're so stupid, Harry." Seamus said quietly.

_**

* * *

**__**Note from The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:**_

Wow. I'm in love with this chapter. I love an angsty Draco. Anyhoo, this chapter (mainly Harry and Draco's fight) gave me an incredibly great scene to make sure that Draco straddles Harry. Slash rocks, more specifically Yaoi.

Now, I have one request. _**REVIEW **_for godsake. I'm begging here.

TTFN,

**Esu-chan**


	4. Chapter 3: Harry Meets The CEO

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: Hello everyone. I bring forth another chapter for Fortune Cookies. Have fun!**_

_**

* * *

**_Draco downed his fourth glass of whisky and seethed. It had been a while since someone had ticked him off this bad. Usually, people stayed away from him fearing his acid tongue and even worse punishments. It wasn't like him to be pissed to so easily either. He had always hated how Harry could get under his skin in a second. It had been that way long before, since their Hogwarts days. 

Draco poured more whiskey into his glass and drank it with the same speed as he did with the other four glasses half an hour ago. Yep, he was _definitely_ ticked.

"Pansy just had to do make out with Potter's _engaged_ best friend, didn't she?" Draco muttered, loosening his tie, "Damn whore…"

But you couldn't really blame the woman. True, Pansy had grown up the same way Draco did, spoiled with everything she could ever ask for. But like her blonde friend, they were starved of love from day one. While amazing and expensive gifts may make others green with envy, love was always a scant. It had always been and will forever be. So Pansy looked for love with random people, hoping that one-day she'll wake up with the guy still beside her and wanting to be with her till they grew old.

It was never about the sex. It was about whom the sex was with and how they would react afterwards. Other purebloods say that dreaming like that is only for mudbloods and blood traitors but it was different for her and Draco. After being love starved for most of their lives, it was to be expected. While Pansy flaunted her emotions out on the open, Draco did not. He receded into himself and refused to see other people, more so when his mother passed away.

"Draco?"

Draco glared at the person who dared interrupt his private space.

"What do you want, Blaise? I'm not in a very hospitable mood."

Blaise sighed and plopped down on the armchair in front of Draco's desk.

"I've taken Pansy home. Seamus had to drag Harry out of the club so he couldn't try and kill her."

"How nice." Draco took another swig out of his glass, "He should have."

"You know Pansy, Draco… she's a bit uncontrollable."

"I was aware of that," Draco said dryly, "But I mean, for godsake, she was even the one who asked if Weasley was engaged to Granger and she _still_ made out with him! That's woman is either utterly mad or utterly stupid."

"You already know that," Blaise pointed out, "You shouldn't be this angry. What's got you so pissed off? Is it Potter?"

"Of course it's Potter!" Draco exclaimed, slamming his glass down on the table, cracking the crystal, "It has always been Potter! I hate him! I hate the way he finds it so _easy _to get under my skin! And I _let_ him!"

"Talking about your father like that…brings back bad memories." Blaise shook his head, "That man really is tactless."

"I'd prefer the terms idiotic and imbecilic."

"But I guess you can't really blame him,"

Draco glared, "And why not?"

Blaise coughed and said, "I mean that you can't blame him _entirely_. He didn't know. You haven't talked to each other since the Ginny fiasco and the only thing he knows about your father is that he died in prison last year."

"That's not an excuse." Draco replied stubbornly, "Just because he didn't know doesn't give him the right to talk to my father that way. The man is _dead_. Let the dear departed rest."

"I have to say this, Draco. You're father was not the nicest man on the planet, so whatever views Harry must have about him is based from the way he treated his underlings in Hogwarts."

"But still, he should know better by now. Childhood grudges are supposed to remain as they are. For children."

Blaise sighed dejectedly, "Fine, I know I can't change your mind. Just…forgive him this one time. It means a lot to Seamus and I."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Whatever. You can leave. Go screw your fuck buddy or something."

Blaise snorted, "Same old, same old."

"Shut up."

Blaise did a mock bow and left the office. The clicking of the lock of the front door signaled that the Italian man jut left, off to Seamus house probably, just as Draco suggested. He corked the whisky canister and stuffed it in a cabinet, waiting for another problem to arise so he could drink again.

_There is just __**something**__ about stupid Potter that makes it so easy to hate him._

The lit fire glowed brightly in Draco's silver irises.

_It's a good thing I won't be seeing him for a while then._

_**

* * *

**_Beep. Beep. 

_Wake up, Harry. You have work. You have to get up._

Harry cracked on eye open and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table. The contacts were already making his eyes hurt so he had removed them upon arriving home. He glanced the clock.

_5:45 Am. Sheesh. I better hope this job is worth waking up early for._

Oddly, the whole house was silent. Harry shrugged to himself and padded over to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. Harry stopped in his tracks when he saw a dark-skinned man already there, cooking bacon and pancakes.

"Hello?" Harry greeted uncertainly.

_Great, Harry. I psycho man is inside your apartment cooking breakfast and you greet him hello. Very nice._

The man turned around and said something. Harry knitted his eyebrows when he figured he couldn't hear anything.

"What? I can't hear you."

Blaise snickered and pointed to his ears. Harry's hands went up to his own and felt something soft. He blushed and pulled the cotton balls out.

"Sorry, Blaise."

Blaise plated the food and set one in front of Harry.

"Were we that noisy last night?" Blaise asked cheekily.

Harry turned redder and murmured, "Uh…yeah…you guys were a bit…loud."

Blaise sliced his pancakes and smiled, "I apologize."

"It's fine!" Harry said quickly, "It's Seamus' apartment anyway. Where is he anyway? He has work at 8."

"He's tired."

Harry knew better than to ask why.

"Might I inquire why you are living with my significant other?" Blaise asked, "When we were at Hogwarts I remember you being filthy rich."

Harry swallowed his food and replied, "Yeah, I guess so. After my parents died they kind of left everything to me."

"But why the slight poverty?"

"Well, Ginny managed to get half of my fortune so here I am. Although the half she left is still significantly large, I wanted to make something of myself and not smooch off my inheritance."

"How's that going?"

Harry's cheeks tinged pink once again. "I'm actually still an intern."

Blaise broke out into a bout of laughter.

"Seriously, Harry? You're what? 24?"

"Twenty-three."

Blaise shook his head, "Wow. You need a life."

Harry grinned, "I think that was the reason why I don't have a job yet."

Blaise looked interested. "Where _do_ you work?"

Harry smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I recently got fired from my old job so…"

"What in the world did you do to get yourself fired?"

The door swing creaked. Seamus walked in with a slight limp.

"He burnt the kitchen and destroyed all the appliances and ovens," he said tiredly, "Whenever things go well he just has to mess it up by burning something."

"Affinity for fire, Harry?" Blaise asked.

"Something like that."

Blaise turned to the Irish man. "So Seamus, how are you fairing this fine morning?"

Seamus glared at him and snapped, "Not very well, as you might've guessed. My back is killing me."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Should I bother to ask why?"

"Well…" Blaise started slyly.

"Don't even go there. I don't want to know," Harry said before darting out the kitchen, "I'm going to shower."

"By all means," Blaise whispered, nipping Seamus' ears, "Take your time."

Seamus rolled his eyes.

"You know, I never found out where Harry works. Have you any idea, love?"

Seamus paused then said, "I believe his new job is at the only building on Ackard Street."

Blaise's eyes widened.

"Does that building happen to be owned by the B & M Corporation?"

Seamus nodded. "Yeah. I think that's what Harry said the company's name was."

Blaise looked at Seamus seriously.

"Then you better prepare for a screaming Harry when he comes home."

_**

* * *

**_"You called for me, sir?" 

Draco stared coldly at the 19-year-old girl. "Have those photocopied for all the creditors coming this afternoon. I need them in fifteen minutes. A minute late, consider yourself fired."

"Y-yes, Mr. Malfoy."

She quickly grabbed the towering stack of paper and ran four floors down to the nearest copy machine. Interns were not allowed to use the elevators yet. Even if the building_ did_ have 36 floors, plus Draco's personal penthouse. Harsh but understandable. If those interns gained the privileges of using the numerous elevators of the building, there would be major traffic considered that B & M Corp currently employed over 250 interns.

"A bit Draconian, don't you think so?"

Draco sipped his tea and did not look up at the woman who entered his office without knocking.

"She needs the exercise," Draco explained shortly, "Give her a few more weeks and she'll start looking like Crabbe and Goyle."

Pansy snorted, "That's rich coming from the person who eats less than a meal a day."

"I work. I have no time for such frivolous activities."

"You have a _serious_ problem, Draco."

Draco set down his teacup. "As do you, Pansy. What in the world possessed you to_ make out_ with _Weasley_? Of all the people in that club, you just _had_ to pick a married guy. A _stupid_ married guy, if I might add."

"He was only engaged."

"He's practically married already!" Draco shouted. The people outside were used to their boss' screaming by now so none of them bothered to check what was wrong.

"I take it you are still irked by last night?"

Draco looked at her with a look that plainly said, "You think?"

Pansy sighed and sat on the edge of Draco's desk, revealing her milky white thighs.

"Don't you think you're taking this a bit too seriously? I was just _playing _with Weasley. He was drunk. And hot."

"That's disgusting. Hot and Weasley do not belong together unless the sentence is 'Weasley is not hot.'"

"Oh shut it, you poof. He got hotter. So did Harry, if I may add. Admit it."

Draco turned back to his paperwork and declared, "Over my dead body."

"You are going to take that back, Draco."

"And why is that?"

Pansy smiled.

"You'll see. Tata, love."

She left and shut the door quietly. Draco shook his hair off his forehead.

_Women…_

_**

* * *

**_The cab came to a halting stop in front of a large black brick building. Gray curtains covered all the windows and a number of security guards lined the revolving entrance door. Harry whistled and tossed a twenty to the cab driver. He adjusted his glasses and stepped out of the yellow car. 

_Here goes…_

Harry strode into the marble hallway and stopped in front of the receptionist.

"Erm…I'm Harry Potter, the new intern for…" Harry checked his slip of paper, "the Financing Executive."

The woman nodded and pointed towards the stairs, "You'll take those up to the 29th floor. Another receptionist there will give you your I.D."

Harry gulped, "I…have to use the stairs?"

She nodded, "Interns aren't allowed to use the elevators."

Harry groaned inwardly and began his long trek up the mentioned 29 floors. Our favorite bespectacled intern couldn't even pause for a short break lest he be late. That would not do for a first day. Especially when the President enjoys firing people mild incompetence. It was a good thing Harry arrived forty-five minutes early.

"I'm…here…don't…fire…me…" Harry gasped.

The receptionist of the floor smiled at him. "Do not worry Mr. Potter. You have about 11 minutes to spare."

Harry looked up and almost collapsed from fatigue. He unbuttoned the top button of his light green polo and accepted the ID she was handing him.

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Patil. Parvati Patil."

Harry tilted his head a bit and looked at her, "You look an awful lot like the receptionist from the ground floor."

Parvati grinned, "She's my twin sister, Padma."

"I see," Harry replied, "What should I do now?"

"The president wants you to report to him upon your arrival. His office is in the room with the black mahogany doors. Just take a left over there and you'll see it."

Harry's eyebrows knitted together, "The president?"

Parvati nodded, "Yes. Our Financing Executive is also B & M's CEO."

_Great. Now I __**know**__ I can't mess up!_

Harry gave her another thank you and walked down the hallway. It was like a less towering version of the entrance hall downstairs but was still decorated the same way. There was a small café to the right, below a giant chandelier.

_This place seems a bit familiar…_ Harry thought absently.

He heard a quiet giggle from behind him as he turned but saw nothing. He shook his head and spotted the pair of mahogany doors ahead. He heard a snort and could've sworn he saw a woman looking amazingly like Pansy hide in an alcove.

_I'm going nuts…_

Harry walked faster and knocked on the door.

"Come in…" a very, _very_ familiar voice drawled.

Harry stepped inside and closed the door.

"Good morning, sir. I'm the new intern the agency sent over."

Harry looked down at the CEO's desk and saw his file open. His headshot was on top of his bio data and résumé. The edge of the folder had small evenly spaced rips in them and he wondered if the man sitting in the giant chair had attempted to shred it.

"Sir?"

The chair swiveled around and Harry felt his heart stop.

"Hello Potter."

"_**Malfoy**_?"

Harry's shocked face turned into anger as he saw the Patented Malfoy Smirk™.

_This is not my day._

_**

* * *

**__**Note from The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:**_

Poor Harry. I can only imagine what Draco will put him through (sigh).

Review!

_**Esu-chan (End type: 6:07 PM, November 3, 2007)**_


	5. Chapter 4: Secrecy

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: Evil me. Sorry for the late update. I was super busy with school. Now, enough talk and enjoy!**_

**

* * *

**"Well, well," Draco drawled, "What do we have here? If it isn't Saint Potter." 

"This is not happening."

Draco smirked. "Oh but it is, Potter. I'm your boss and you are my lowly intern. You will follow everything I ask of you and everything everyone else asks of you. Do you have any complains?"

"No," Harry gritted out. _I don't mind everyone. It's __**you**__ I'm worried about._

"Now," Draco began, "I'm a very fair person, Potter, but if you mess up _once_ I will fire you in a second's notice. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Draco pointed to another towering stack of papers on his desk and said, "Have these photocopied three times. I want them in an hour."

Harry took a deep breath and kept his fist by his side. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he gave the CEO of B & M Corp a black eye on his first day.

Harry smirked.

That could wait another week. He quickly grabbed the multicolored folders and papers and stumbled out of the room.

"Shut the door on your way out, Potter."

Harry glared at him and slammed the door with one hand.

_Bastard._

Then he stopped.

_Great. I don't even know where the Xerox machine is._

**

* * *

**_Pant. Pant._

"You okay?"

Harry looked up from his slumped position on the floor. He held up Draco's stack of papers and folders.

"I need…three copies…of each…in…an…hour…"

"Alright…" the man said unsurely, "You sure you're fine?"

Harry grinned weakly, "Yeah. I just got winded running down all these stairs. I'm Harry Potter."

"Cedric Diggory," the brunette replied, "Being an intern sucks, doesn't it?"

"Tell me about it," Harry said quietly, getting to his feet.

Cedric smiled and turned on the paper copier. Sounds of bleeps filled the room and the smell of ink powder flooded Harry's nose. He grimaced and sniffed which resulted into more toxic powder being taken into his lung.

Cedric laughed. "Don't worry about that. You'll get used to it. During my first week I got sent to the hospital because I had inhaled too much of the ink."

Harry blanched. _I don't want to die._

"Don't worry. They just gave me a bunch of pills and sent me home. It was just the puking part that was hard."

"Are you trying to make me quit?" Harry accused.

Cedric smirked. "Maybe I am. Quit, Harry. While you still can."

Harry peered over his shoulder and asked, "You make it sound like this place is hell. Or something very similar to it."

"This is hell," Cedric said, "At least for the interns."

Harry sighed. "I picked the wrong job to sign up for."

"Why are you here anyway? You don't look like a teenager."

"Neither do you," Harry shot back.

Cedric laughed loudly. "I'm actually the Vice Executive for the Finance department. I started out as an intern a few years back and here I am now."

Harry's mouth dropped open and he scrambled to apologize. _Shit._

"I…I didn't know! I apologize! I never meant to ins—"

Cedric clapped the bespectacled man's shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry. I take it you've met out Finance Executive and current CEO? A piece of work, if I may say so myself."

Harry nodded, "We were…schoolmates before."

"You went to Hogwarts?" Cedric asked surprisingly, "Pretty amazing place. Every single person who's graduated from there became extremely successful."

Harry understood the hidden question.

"For one thing, I got divorced and my ex got half of everything. I still have my parent's fortune and could probably live comfortably with it but…"

"You want to make something of yourself."

"Exactly."

Cedric handed him the huge pile that had grown three times as big and gave him a pat on the head.

"Wise choice, young Potter."

Harry smiled at the retreating man's back.

_I definitely like him_.

**

* * *

**Harry ran up several flights of stairs and rushed into Draco's office, a minute shy of being fired. The impossible stack of papers wobbled to the side and Harry had to hop around to keep them balanced. After stubbing his toe on the pointed corners of the large room, he carefully laid everything on top of the desk. A drop of sweat dribbled down his temple. 

"I've…got…everything…"

Draco spun around in his chair. It had become a habit after receiving the black leather monstrosity for his birthday.

"Well done, Potter," Draco sneered, "The paper sizes are wrong. I said short not A4. Redo them. Be back here in twenty minutes."

"But you never said…!"

Draco's eyebrow shot up. "Have you been so incompetent all this time? You took the same Business Management course as me and I thought you would have picked up on the fact that Financial Statements are printed on short bond sizes. _Redo them_."

Harry snapped his jaw shut. _Bastard. Financial Statements can be on either A4 or short bond._

Draco gave the stack a light push almost sending them to floor had Harry not caught them.

"Time's a wasting, Potter. Do hurry up. Remember, a minute late and you're out of luck."

Harry staggered out of the room once more and miraculously the door had opened. Harry said a quiet thanks, not bothering to look at the person who had so graciously opened the mahogany doors.

"No problem." A voice with a familiar drawl replied.

Harry quickly spun around, sending all the papers flying. The door had clicked shut. Harry had spotted a twirl of a coat and black hair. There was something about that voice that sounded deceptively familiar. Harry knitted his eyebrows together as he picked up the loose papers absently.

_That voice…I've heard it before…_

He brushed the thought away and began the mountain-long trek down to the 25th floor.

_I've got to stop drinking too much coffee._

**

* * *

**_Ring. Ring. Ri—_

"Hello. This is Pansy Parkinson."

"_**Hey Pans.**_"

Pansy gave her date a chaste kiss and said, "Excuse me, love. I've got to take this phone call."

Theodore Nott smiled. "Go ahead."

Pansy sashayed out of the restaurant and into the busy street.

"Blaise, darling. What important thing do you wish to converse with me? I'm currently having a date with the owner of the club we went to last night."

"_**First it was Weasley, now it's Nott. You don't leave any of the good ones, do you?**_"

"No I do not. He's deciding to not press any charges for the scene Draco and Harry caused."

"_**With the help of your persuasion?**_"

"Of course."

Blaise chuckled on the other line. "_**Pansy, dear, I've been meaning to ask you, what was the exact reason for bullying me into asking Draco to go the Embassy with us?**_"

"I have not an idea of what you're talking about," Pansy replied sweetly.

Blaise snorted. "_**You my dear are an extremely sly woman.**_"

"Why thank you. But surely you know that your well-placed compliments will get you nowhere. Get to the point."

"_**Very well then. Why did you force me to take Draco to the Embassy when you knew fully well that Seamus would be bringing Harry along? And how could you have known that it was **_**Harry Potter **_**who was the new intern that the agency sent?**_"

Pansy smirked and looked up at the smog filled sky. "You're questions are numerous, Blaise. But the only thing I am able to tell you is that Harry's file had just _mysteriously_ found its way onto my desk one fine Thursday afternoon."

"_**Do you know who placed it there?**_"

"I haven't a clue. But I saw it as a chance to coerce our two hotheaded friends to be hotheaded about something else than fighting."

"_**You women are so hard to figure out. I think that's one of the reasons I became gay.**_"

"It's all part of the charm, honey, all part of the charm. I've got to go back to my date. I will call you later. Tata."

_Click_.

Pansy slipped her phone back into her pocket and walked back inside the restaurant. He slid beside Theodore in their private booth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now, where were we?"

**

* * *

**"Good afternoon, Draco." 

Draco twirled round and round in his chair. "Morning, Sev."

Severus clamped a hand down on the leather armrest. "Would you please cease that infernal twirling?"

Draco pouted. "But it's fun."

"You are twenty-three, not a three-year-old," Severus snapped, "I should never have gotten you this chair as a birthday gift."

"Your loss, my gain, dear godfather." Draco said, "Now, what is it you wish to tell me?"

Severus seated himself on a similar, non-twirl-able leather chair. "Can't a godfather visit his favorite godson?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm your _only_ godson. And besides, the times you actually come into this office happen only when it is a matter of life and death."

"Like…?"

Draco crossed his arms, "Like the time my assistant got her hand stuck in the waffle maker and you only came up here to report it to me thirty minutes after when all the skin on her left hand had toasted."

"She was as incompetent as a rock. How do you get your hand stuck in a _waffle maker_?"

Draco sniggered, "Only when you are dating the same guy Pansy is dating and Pansy learns of the said philandering."

"Pansy did that?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Yes. While Ms. Bones was pouring the batter in, Pansy _accidentally_ elbowed the waffle maker shut."

"Then how did Susan's hand get stuck?"

"Super glue was on the top part that hit her hand. It had somehow gotten spilled when Pansy was fixing her stapler."

Severus flinched. "Did she file charges?"

"Nope. Pansy's father made sure that no firm or freelance lawyer would take the case."

"Mr. Parkinson is part of the Thornton-Burke firm isn't he?"

"Yes. He refused to become partner so that his alliance would be one of utter secrecy."

"All for his daughter?"

"All for his daughter."

As Draco watched his godfather contemplate the secrets of the universe, he saw swirling emotions of confusion dance in the man's eyes.

"Severus, why did you come all the way here?" Draco asked, "I'm sure it wasn't for chit chat."

Severus stared at him directly. "How long have you known Harry Potter?"

Draco was surprised by the question. "Since college I guess. Why do you ask?"

Severus ignored his question, "Are you aware of whom his parents are? Or any of his relatives?"

"No I am not."

Severus nodded, letting out a breath. "Very well. We will continue this conversation soon. Goodbye, Draco."

"Sev! Wait—"

The door had shut. Draco stared at the golden doorknobs. He had seen his godfather visibly relax as he learned Draco knew not about Harry's relations.

_Severus is hiding something._

Draco stood up and unlocked the file cabinet behind his desk. The metal box was filled with employee files from every department. Draco liked to keep tabs on who he hired and fired. Every single person who was working and had worked in the B & M Corporation was recorded and kept under lock and key.

_Let's see…Financing Department…Potter, Harry…_

He plucked the file gently with two fingers and flipped it open. The folder had been replaced with a black one after Draco had so subtly tried to dispose of it.

_Name… Age… Parents… Aha._

Draco's eyebrows crinkled.

"Parents: N/A."

**

* * *

**"Is he aware of the…situation, Severus?" 

Severus blew on his tea and sipped it. The refreshing taste of Earl Gray soothed his growing migraine. Even if the cause for his migraine was the man sitting in front of him.

"No he is not." Severus replied, "The résumé Potter sent does not contain the name of his parents."

"And why is that?" The man inquired.

Severus set the steaming cup down. "Because I made sure of it."

"Good, good,"

Severus turned to look at the man and asked, "I do not see that point of keeping this from him. He has a right to know."

"All in good time."

"You're beginning to sound like Dumbledore. That man knew when to hold his tongue but did not know when to let it go."

"Sadly, Severus, that was what caused his downfall. It will not be the cause of mine."

"I know."

"Harry will learn of it sooner of later. Be prepared."

"I already am."

**

* * *

**_**Note from The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:**_

Ah…after two weeks I present you with a chapter that starts the whole drama and secrecy. This story is far more than your usually HPDM fanfic. More dramaness to ensue.

Review at your leisure.

_**Esu-chan (End type 10:12 PM, November 18, 2007)**_


	6. Chapter 5: Tea or Not?

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

_**A/N: I bet you all though I had died… Hehe. Sorry for this late update. School is being its normal, demanding, fucked up self. Happy Holidays everyone!**_

**

* * *

**It had only been a few days since Harry started working at the B & M Corporation but tensions were already running high. Despite the fact that he and Draco only talked when needed, there was no doubt that a volcano would be erupting soon. Lava would spill over desks and cubicles and burn everything in its fiery path. 

Draco clicked rapidly on his laptop while typing at random intervals as he tried to finish crosschecking this month's mountain of paperwork. Draco looked at his hand and glanced at his Rolex wristwatch.

_3:23 AM. Wow. I've been working on this for more than 12 hours._

Draco paused his type-athon and yawned loudly. "I need coffee."

The CEO lifted his hand to press the call button for his secretary when he realized that Millicent wouldn't be in again for two more hours.

"Great. Now I have to make my own coffee."

Draco put his computer on hibernate and headed for the café. After clicking the doors shut, Draco eyed the dark hallway warily. You don't know when some psycho hitman might jump out of a corner and try to blow his brains out.

_I've got to stop watching all those assassination movies._

Draco took a step forward and another until he opened the glass doors that lead to Café de Amore. A stupid name for a café located inside a ruthless, life-destroying company but hey, Narcissa Malfoy wanted it that way and no dared complain. Some would wonder whether or not living with Lucius stripped the woman of her last vestiges of sanity.

The continuous whirring of the two thousand dollar coffee machine calmed his overworked nerves as he closed his eyes in silent contemplation.

_I wonder why Potter didn't write his parents' names down on the form. It's mandatory to completely fill up your bio… _

Draco smirked.

_Maybe I can fire him for that… How wonderful that would be. His idiocy is grating on my nerves. And he's only been here what? Three days? Two?_

The whirring stopped. Draco opened his eyes and grabbed a stainless mug from the countertop, filling it with coffee. He watched with interest as the black liquid filled the container, cooling a little.

_It's impossible. Millicent would never have allowed him to enter my office without a complete bio. Somebody must've tampered with the documents._

A sip of the scalding caffeine-laden drink and a sordid realization made Draco narrow his eyes and place the mug down.

_The only people allowed to even touch these documents are the Executives of each department._

Draco gulped more of the coffee, purposefully burning his own tongue and esophagus in the process. Did I mention Draco was a glutton for punishment?

_Great. 77 people to investigate._

Draco strode back to his dark office, too immersed in his thoughts to notice light shining out from under the record room just around the corner.

**

* * *

**"Good morning, darling." Pansy greeted, sweeping elegantly into the office and giving Draco a peck on the cheek. 

Draco gave her a blank look and casually slipped the five or so folders he has flipping through into a desk drawer.

"You're awfully cheery today," he commented, locking the desk, "Anything interesting happen yesterday? Any marriages destroyed lately?"

Pansy smirked and flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Lately? None, I suppose. Unless you can count that horrible fling involving a Weasley."

"I hear Hermione broke off the engagement," Draco said conversationally.

Pansy sat down and crossed her legs. "Oh really? That's tragic. I wonder why?"

Draco sipped his morning coffee and smiled. "Maybe he was bad in bed."

Pansy threw her head back and laughed. "I'd understand _completely_ if that was the reason. He is a most _unsatisfying_ partner."

"Figured you'd say that."

"Pansy Parkinson deserves nothing less than the best."

"Of course. Who dare suggest otherwise?" Draco asked mockingly.

"You would."

Draco snorted.

_Bleep. Bleep._

Draco pressed the talk button on his intercom.

"What is it?"

"_**Mr. Diggory requests afternoon tea with you.**_"

"I thought you didn't like him?" Pansy whispered.

"Shut up." Draco snapped.

He leaned over the machine and said, "I'll ring you in five minutes."

"_**Yes, sir.**_"

Draco turned the intercom off and sighed. "I wonder what he wants?"

Pansy grinned. "Maybe he wants to get in your pants."

Draco looked at her like she had grown another head. "Highly improbable. It must be important if he decides to meet with me in such a hurry."

"Maybe."

"…"

"So…will you go?"

Draco looked between the mountain of paperwork he had to do, plus the additional sleuthing for the person who tampered with official documents, and meeting a person whom he had an utter dislike for whilst talking over a tense, awkward silence over tea.

"I think he'll live if I don't go."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "If you're not taking him then _I'm_ asking him out for dinner later."

"Whore."

Pansy winked. "Thanks."

Draco pressed the intercom button.

"Millicent. Tell him I won't be able to make it."

**

* * *

**"Harry…could you be a dear and hand me the stacks of books over there?" 

Harry looked behind him and saw Mrs. Pince, the 'librarian' of sorts. There was a table a ways from her with four towering stacks of books. Towering stacks of books that looked like they were ready to fall anytime.

Harry cracked a smile. "Sure, Mrs. Pince. I'll be right there."

Harry set the folders he was holding on a table and grabbed one stack.

"Where to?"

Mrs. Pince gave him a grateful smile and said, "Into that room, sweetie. Just place them on the table by the bookcase. Some delinquent found it funny to mess up three of the file cabinets."

Harry nodded and said, "I'll just take these in."

Harry shifted his weight from foot to foot and walked to the open door. After four consecutive trips his arms felt weary and tired. Harry let out a breath and grabbed his folders from the table.

"Thank you, Harry."

"Anytime, Mrs. Pince!"

Mrs. Pince watched the brunette walk away and shook her head. "Such a nice boy, that one is. Reminds me a lot of someone…"

She walked inside the record room and noticed one of the half empty cabinets tilted to one side. A folder was wedged between one corner and the wall.

"That's odd…"

Mrs. Pince picked the folder up and noticed fragments of ripped paper. She frowned and flipped open the green file. The bottom part of the third page was hastily ripped off and looked as if the person who vandalized the file tried to hide it and obviously failed.

She pushed her glasses up her nose and read the name on the first page.

"James Potter..." Mrs. Pince smiled, "Just the person I was thinking about."

Before the large rip halfway across the paper, there was one large heading.

'_Company Relations_'

**

* * *

**_Ting._

A small clump of bells poised over the entrance tinkled as the door was pushed open. The Chinese restaurant was almost empty. Lunchtime had passed and everyone had gone back to work or back inside his or her 20-dollars-per-month dingy, cockroach-infested apartment.

Seamus grinned as he saw the misty, shadowed ambiance the place had. Short, lit candles decorated the wooden tables and the smell of jasmine filled the air.

"Isn't it great?" Seamus asked his companion happily.

"Seamus, love, I _have_ been here before you know."

Seamus looked surprised. "Really?"

Blaise looked up at the paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and nodded. "Yeah. I think I went here last week to order take-out for Draco… The man is trying to starve himself. I felt it was my duty to stop him."

Seamus snickered.

"Why are we here anyway?"

Seamus rolled his eyes. "For our late-lunch, of course. I wasn't able to meet you yesterday so I'm making it up to you."

Blaise gave him a peck on the lips and smiled. "How sweet."

Seamus' cheeks tinged bright pink.

"Welcome… Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Zabini…"

The aforementioned couple turned their heads to the counter and saw a woman around their age with long, dirty blonde hair wearing what looked like miniature turnips in her ears.

"It isn't so often that we see a happy couple in this restaurant." She continued.

"How do you know our names?" Blaise asked her suspiciously.

The woman didn't look disturbed by the question. She opened the box by the cashier and withdrew two red cards. They had the names Blaise Zabini and Seamus Finnegan written on them.

"Every customer is asked to fill these up after they pay for their food."

Blaise took one look at the cards and nodded. "I see."

Seamus elbowed his lover and sent a smile at the weird lady. "As you know, I'm Seamus and this is my boyfriend Blaise… And you are…?"

She smiled. "My name is Luna Lovegood…"

Blaise knitted his eyebrows together as his brain processed the name.

"Luna…Lovegood?"

She nodded. "That is correct."

"We've met before…" Blaise murmured.

Luna stared at him knowingly.

Something clicked in the Italian man's head.

"I remember! You're Luna Lovegood from Hogwarts… the one who wrote fortunes for ev…"

Blaise trailed off. Seamus looked at them oddly.

"Is something wrong, Blaise?"

Blaise ignored the question. "Luna… are you… perhaps the one writing the fortunes here?"

Luna tilted her head. "I'm afraid I haven't written any fortunes since school… They tend to scare people off."

"I see…" Blaise said quietly, "So the fortunes here come from…?

"Bertie's 24 hour Minimart."

"Ah…"

Seamus sighed and turned to Luna. "Don't mind him. He's just a little stressed from work."

Luna nodded and asked, "What will you be having?"

Seamus looked at the menu on the countered and tinkered off their orders. Luna punched the cashier rapidly.

"Is that all?"

"Yup…"

_Ting_.

"Please take that booth over there by the corner."

"Okay. Thanks."

Half an hour later, Blaise still hadn't spoken a word.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong, love?" Seamus asked worriedly. "You've been silent this whole time…"

Blaise sent him a grateful smile. "I'm fine, Seam… It's just that… there is just something off about her…"

"Blaise, she was known as Loony Luna because all her fortunes came true. You're probably still tweaked by that. And besides, she said she hasn't written any since school."

"…You're right," Blaise grinned, "So… want to head over to my place after eating?"

Seamus rubbed his foot against Blaise's leg. "I'd love to."

**

* * *

**Luna slipped the red cards back inside the red box and looked at the couple sitting in one of their booths. The Irish man was snickering as his partner accidentally dumped a whole bottle on pepper on his soup. 

_I wonder if they've realized anything yet…_

Luna smiled and left the counter, heading for her room at the back of the restaurant.

_Everything has its time…_

_It's a good thing Blaise has always been the one to overlook tiny details…_

The curtain of beads made twinkling sounds as the enigma passed through them.

If only Blaise had looked closely at the red cards he would've had noticed that it wasn't his or Seamus' writing at all.

**

* * *

**"_**Mr. Malfoy sends his apologies, Mr. Diggory. He is too busy to meet anyone at the moment.**_" 

"Alright. Tell Mr. Malfoy to give me a call when he's available. Thank you."

"_**No problem, Mr. Diggory.**_"

_Bleep._

Cedric leaned back in his seat and stared at the open folder on his desk. Harry Potter's bio. With no blanks, erasures or any discrepancies whatsoever.

Cedric sighed and dropped the folder into his drawer.

_James Potter and Lily Evans, huh?_

**

* * *

**Mrs. Pince laid James Potter's file on Millicent's desk. 

"I found it this morning behind a file cabinet." Mrs. Pince said, "I think whoever broke into the record room got what they were looking for."

Millicent nodded and closed the folder. She dropped it on top of a bunch of folders under her desk to be taken to the president later.

"I'll make sure it reaches him."

Mrs. Pince smiled. "Thank you, dear. Please do. I hear Mr. Malfoy is quite worried about who's tampering with official documents."

When Millicent returned from the bathroom an hour and a half later, the James Potter's bio was missing.**

* * *

**_**Note from The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:**_

Cliffie or not… you decide. grin. Lots of people are delving into the secret of Harry Potter's past… Sigh. So the drama.

Review, si'l vous plait?

**◊Esu-chan◊ (End type 1:39 PM, December 8, 2007)**


	7. Chapter 6: James Potter

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have made the ending as horribly fucked-up as it was.

**A/N: Happy New Year to you all! We have classes starting next week so this is probably the last update before school becomes a pain in the ass again. Hope you all had an enjoyable holiday break. On to the chapter!**

**

* * *

**"What the fuck do you mean it's missing?" Draco shouted at his cowering secretary, "Are so _incompetent _that you can't even bring one _bloody _folder into my office? Who takes an hour and half in the loo??" 

Millicent sobbed quietly, dabbing her falling tears with a napkin. "I-I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy! It wo-won't happen a-again…"

Draco settled back in his seat and gave her an icy stare. "Too right it won't. Consider yourself without a job, Millicent. I hear they have a new post opening at TV Guide. Tata."

"Pl-please, Mr. Malfoy!" Millicent begged, "I have three siblings to put through school an—"

Draco pressed the call button for his guards and yawned uninterestedly.

"As sad as that sounds, I find that I am too tired to care."

The door opened and two burly looking guards stepped in.

"There you are. What took you so long? Please take this woman out of my sight."

"Yes sir." Crabbe grunted, before pulling the crying secretary out of the office.

Goyle nodded and closed the door. "Good day, Mr. Malfoy."

"Good day, indeed." Draco muttered to himself, flipping open his laptop.

_I really must get a new secretary… _

Draco sent an e-mail to one of applicants on hold and maneuvered to the company's private server. When he tried to pull up James Potter's file, he was blocked by a wall. He typed in the password only to find that it had been changed.

"What in the world—?"

After three unsuccessful attempts to unlock the blasted file, Draco was seething. He dialed Severus' number on his cell phone and waited impatiently for the laconic man to answer.

"Answer the bloody phone, Sev…"

_Click._

"_**Hello?**_"

Draco almost sighed in relief. "Sev. I need you in my office. Pronto. It's about James Potter."

"_**I'll be there in half an hour.**_"

Draco snapped the phone shut and swiveled his chair around to face the window.

"I hope he can clear a few things for me."

**

* * *

**Severus pressed the red button on his cell phone and sighed tiredly. This whole façade really was straining on his nerves. If only he hadn't fallen for the man who was the cause of his recent bout of lethargic behavior. 

"Knitting your eyebrows like that will give you wrinkles, you know."

Severus ignored the comment and resumed sipping his Earl Gray The streets outside the café were bustling with people despite the cold weather.

"Do you think it wise to be out in the open like this?"

His companion smiled and said, "I believe that the increasing population of London will be enough to conceal our identities from prying eyes."

Severus remained silent. The man leaned forward and peered into his face.

"Something is on your mind, Severus. Do share."

The ebony-haired businessman rubbed his hands together.

"I never could hide anything from you, couldn't I?"

The man shook his head with a grin. "No, you could not."

Severus cast another glance outside and spoke.

"Draco is calling me to his office. The person you sent inside the B & M Building left a terrible mess of things inside the 29th floor's record room. Draco will do anything to find out who has been messing with his documents."

The man nodded. "Continue."

"Eventually he will find out who tampered Potter's bio."

"I see…" the man clicked his tongue, "If he asks about James do what you do best. Lie. You are the last person he would suspect anyway."

Severus smiled wryly.

"Sometimes being last isn't always a good thing with Draco Malfoy."

**

* * *

**The cafeteria was almost empty, save for the few interns who managed to get at least five minutes break time. 

"What's up with Malfoy?" Harry asked, moving his tray along the metal bars fastened to the black granite counter, "He's been silent and broody since this morning. And he didn't yell at me! Not once!

Neville Longbottom, Harry's fellow intern in the Finance Department, ordered a hamburger before turning him.

"Well, from what Parvati told me, Malfoy fired Millicent after some file had disappeared under her nose."

Harry picked up his tray and headed for a table. "Isn't Millicent the breadwinner of her family? What's going to happen to her sisters?"

Neville followed him and sat down. He shrugged. "Most of the people who get fired from here, sans the interns, end up at some low-class company."

"And Millicent…?" Harry pressed.

Neville smiled sadly. "…Ended up at TV Guide."

"Bloody hell," Harry murmured, "A bit harsh, don't you think? Even for Malfoy."

Neville appeared indifferent to the comment and said, "His father was no different. Worse even. Maybe the file was _really _important."

"He's overreacting." The green-eyed man declared. _Ever the Drama Queen, weren't you?_

Neville sipped his Coke and picked at his fries. "This actually the first time an employee actually got fired."

"What about the inter—?"

"Aside from us. This is the very first time a _real_ employee got fired since Lucius Malfoy died a the previous year."

Harry bit into his own burger and chewed silently. _Somehow I find that hard to believe. Malfoy? Not firing anyone? Shocker there._

Neville grinned at Harry's indifference.

"It may be a shock to most of the people Malfoy went to school with but,"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"But he isn't his father," Neville finished, "As much as Malfoy looks like Malfoy Sr. they are, in essence, very different people."

"And you know this how?"

Neville was not fazed by the unbelieving tone in his friend's voice.

"You won't get it yet, Harry. You haven't seen _Draco_. Take your time. You don't know, you and Malfoy might understand each other better than anyone else."

_That'll be the day_, Harry thought, munching on a tomato.

* * *

"I don't know what to do, Sev," Draco moaned, "Somebody's meddling in B & M's database, changing passwords and documents… If I find out that that somebody is a company employee, I'm doing a whole lot more than firing them." 

Severus rolled his eyes with an audible sigh. "I think you're overreacting about this whole ordeal. Someone might have been able to change the password but you've still got the override key."

"But that's not the point!" Draco exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table, "The point is that some asshole was able to do it without my or your knowledge! When I open James Potter's file again, I'm betting my life that the Company Relations section has been erased."

"True." Severus said, "But why are you so interested in James Potter anyway?"

"Because there is a 99.99 percent possibility that he's related to Harry Potter."

"Just because they have the same last name doesn't make them related."

"We can't be entirely sure about that either. Potter's file was tampered with too." Draco turned his laptop to face his godfather and said, "And it's not about the name. Look at his picture. He looks exactly like Potter. Minus the green eyes."

The CEO turned the laptop back around and scanned the file.

"Looks like he went to Hogwarts the same time you and father did," Draco looked at Severus suspiciously, "Why did he apply _here_ of all places? I vaguely remember father mentioning a 'James' in passing when he talked with mother…in quite a hateful voice, if I may add."

Severus shrugged and said, "Probably to spite us. We were never on good terms, not in school nor in this company. He may have been the most brilliant accountant during that time but that didn't mean that he would easily forget childhood grudges."

Draco closed his laptop silently. "But why did father hire him? He stayed for about 5 years before resigning. I know that right after Lucius graduated from school, grandfather immediately shifted power to him."

_Smart question…_ Severus thought. _But_ _you cannot pin this on me now, Draco. It's too soon._

"Because Abraxas wished it so," he replied, "I believe he was close acquaintances with Potter's parents. Lucius wanted nothing more to please his father."

"I see." _It can't be that simple. Father and Severus abhorred James Potter it seems. Why would they even allow him to stay here for that long?_

"Thanks, Sev," Draco said finally, "I'll give you a call when this whole mess has been sorted out."

Severus nodded stiffly and began to walk out, "Don't dwell on this too much, Draco. All problems have their end in due time."

The door softly clicked shut.

"I have no idea how but I _know_ you're involved, dear godfather," Draco said quietly, staring at the door, "And I _will_ find out why."

**

* * *

**Mrs. Pince was randomly alphabetizing files on her computer when she saw a familiar, bespectacled man pass by. 

"Harry," she called out. _Just the person I wanted to see._

Harry turned around sharply and smiled when he saw Mrs. Pince's waving hand.

"Good afternoon to you, Mrs. Pince. What can I do for you?"

"Have a seat, Harry dear."

Harry paid no heed to the odd request and sat down on the chair beside hers. _I wonder what this is about…_

"Do you need help with anything, Mrs. Pince?"

She smiled and pet his knee, "Not at all, love. Stacking those books up for me was a great deal of help. It isn't so often that I find nice interns like yourself to help me out."

Harry's cheeks tinted pink. "It was no problem at all."

"Anyway," Mrs. Pince said, "I didn't call you here for a favor. I really just wanted to ask if you have any…relatives who work or _used _to work in this company."

Harry seemed perplexed by the question. "Well, not that I know off at least. Why? Is there someone here you think is…related to me?"

Mrs. Pince shook her head. "No one, dear… just an odd question coming from an old lady. You just _strongly _reminded me of someone who used to work with me. Thank you for your time, Harry."

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Pince. If ever you need anything just give me a ring."

"Alright," Mrs. Pince smiled and stood up. "Off you go then."

"See you." Harry replied, walking away.

The aged woman sighed and put her hands on her hips. _Harry surely would have known if his father worked here… maybe it was just a coincidence that they look alike… I'll just have to ask him some other time._

Mrs. Pince sat back down and opened a small wooden box on her desk. She picked out Neville's borrower's card.

"Oh dear, it seems like Mr. Longbottom still hasn't returned the book on hydrangea tissue culturing…"

**

* * *

**Pale, slender fingers made sharp tapping noises on the mahogany table as Draco sat idly, weighing whether or not meeting Potter was worth the headache that would bloom immediately after. It wasn't that he chose to hate Potter. It was more of a _natural _thing. Getting under each other's skin was so easy, and the after feeling of satisfaction had always been something to look forward to. 

But recently during their last year in Hogwarts, there was something off with the way they argued. There was something more than the satisfaction lingering after a row. It was more guilt than either of them never thought they could feel when dealing with each other. Draco remembered the times when he made cracks about Harry's lack of parents and that could never get decent sleep afterwards.

It was sort of like the hurt that they had been so used to make the other feel had equated to something else entirely. So here Draco was, wondering whether or not he could keep his temper for ten minutes, just so he could get to the bottom of the secret of Potter's parents.

"This is so stupid," Draco muttered, running a hand through his hair, tussling it all over his forehead, "It won't take longer than ten minutes."

He pressed the intercom's button.

"Daphne, please have Harry Potter paged and into my office in five minutes."

"_**Right away, Mr. Malfoy.**_"

_Click._

It was actually by a stroke of luck that his new secretary was a hell of a lot more competent that Millicent, and that she had a high tolerance for holding her pee and BM.

A breathless Harry Potter strode into his office exactly five minutes later.

"You called, sir?" Harry said, distaste clearly shown on his features.

Draco bit back the urge to say a scathing remark and opted for the niceties instead.

"Good day, Mr. Potter. I hope your stay at B & M Corp has been a…_pleasant _experience for you…"

"Cut the chit-chat, Malfoy," Harry growled, "Am I fired or what? I still have some stuff to attend to."

Draco's eyes flashed angrily. "Of course. An errand boy's job is never done."

Harry spun on his heel to leave.

"Stop right there, Potter."

He halted and turned around. "What do you want now?"

Draco uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "I just need you to answer one question for me. Then you can go back to whatever life-threatening thing you have to do."

"Ask away." Harry said sarcastically.

"Potter," Draco started, "Who exactly are your parents?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "The ones you ridiculed all those years in Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Draco replied coolly.

Suspicion flashed through emerald eyes. "Why are you asking?"

"Just answer the bloody question!" Draco snapped.

_Don't get your knickers in a twist, Malfoy._

"Lily Evans," Harry said, "And James Potter."

A huge grin almost split Draco's face.

"I could kiss you right now, Potter."

* * *

**Note from The Furry Yellow-Striped Koala:**

A secret is revealed! Draco should stop scratching his eyes out right about now. **:Draco glares:** It's not my fault you are such a drama queen. Back to the point. Do not worry, this story is not progressing too fast. There will some Drarry moments in the following chapters but it's going to be more out of hate than anything. I don't want you guys to lose interest in meh plot to soon.

I shall keep the tensions running high!

Have a Happy New Year everybody!

**.:Esu-chan:. (End type 8:46 PM January 1, 2008)**


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